Improvement in machines for stripping sorghum



J. M. SPENCER.

Cane-Stripper.

No. 53,696. Patented Apr. 3,1866.

FEW

"Witnesses: Invcwflo N. PETERS. PHDTQ-LITHOGRAFHER, WASHINGTON, D. Q

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIC JOHN M. SPENCER, OF OTTAWA, ILLINOIS.

IMPROVEMENT IN MACHINES FOR STRIPPING SORGHUNI.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 53,696, dated April 3, 1866.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN M. SPENCER, of Ottawa, in the county of La Salle and State of Illinois, have invented a new and Improved Machine for Topping and Stripping the Leaves from Sugar-(lane; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable those skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in \vhicl1 Figure 1 is a side sectional view of my invention, taken in the line 00 a, Fig. 2; Fig. a plan or top View of the same.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

This invention consists in the employment or use of an endless feed-apron in connection with a toothed cylinder, slotted curved plate, and discharge-rollers, all arranged to operate in such a manner as to strip the leaves from the cane in a very efficient manner.

The invention further consists in the employment or use of a rotating knife arranged to operate in connection with the parts aforesaid, so that the cane may be topped and have the leaves stripped from it simultaneously or at one operation.

A represents a framing, which may be constructed in any proper manner to support the working parts, and B is an endless apron placed horizontally on said framing at one end of it, and provided with transverse cleats or slats having teeth a.

U is a cylinder provided with teeth I), and fitted transversely in the framing A parallel with the inner end of the apron B and at a short distance from it.

D is a plate which is slightly curved or rounded, and is slotted in a direction longitudinally with the framing, as shown at c, the

teeth I) of cylinder 0 working in said slots, and the plate D being just above the cylinder 0, so that the latter will not work in contact with the former, but just clear it.

E E represent two rollers placed one over the other in the same axial plain and parallel with the cylinder 0. The lower roller, is provided with teeth d, and has its upper edge about on a level with the upper edge of cylinder 0, and the upper roller, E, is smooth.

The endless apron B and rollers E E are operated by gears F from one end of the shaft of cylinder 0, as shown clearly in Fig. 2.

G represents a knife which is attached to one end of shaft H, the latter being parallel with the side of the framing A and rotated by gears I from the opposite end of the shaft of cylinder 0. This knife G in rotating works over a fixed plate or ledger-blade, H, at the front end of the machine.

The operation is as follows The operator places the tops ofthe cane on theplate orledgerblade H, where they are cut off by the knife G. The topped cane is then placed on the apron B, which conveys it over the slotted plate D, where the teeth of cylinder O strip the leaves from the canet-he latter then passing between the rollers E E on inclined ways J, when itis bound. 7

The cylinder 0 may have a cover over it, if necessary or desired.

I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- The arrangement shown and described of the toothed endless apron B, the toothed cylinder G, slotted plate I), feed-rollers E E, and supports or table J J.

JOHN M. SPENCER.

Witnesses:

SAMUEL FELT, ZENAS HODGES. 

